Mon Jun 2nd - 11 miles, 6 furlongs, 14 locks - Trent Lock to
Langley Mill
Total cruising time 7 hours 55 minutes.
A better day weatherwise than yesterday, some patches of sunshine early
on then cloudy for the rest of the day. Left Trent Lock at 8.20am for
the run up to Langley Mill. As we were leaving Long Eaton Lock I
spotted a narrowboat pulling up just below the lock so we waited for
them at the next lock. Since there was no sight of them some ten
minutes after we'd emptied the lock and gone in we gave up on them,
assuming they'd stopped somewhere. The locks on this canal (and in fact
on the River Soar) have been numbered as a continuation of the Leicester
section of the GU. This seems very strange to me, as to my mind the
Erewash, the Soar and the Leicester section are three distinct
navigations. There is a very convenient co-op with nearby moorings in
Sandiacre. We didn't stop but I expect we will on the way back down as
food stocks are running a bit low. Got to Langley Mill at 4.15pm, and
ventured to the extreme Northern end of the Cromford canal before
winding and coming back to the water point. Talked for a bit to a local
restoration chap and he opened the swingbridge for me to venture down
the Nottingham canal to the road bridge and back. Tied up for the night
in the basin by the swingbridge and, after eating, wandered along to the
Railway Tavern for a few beers with Brian and Susan Dominic and Chris'
sister Pat and her husband Mick. Tomorrow it's back down to Trent Lock
and probably down to Nottingham.
Terry Streeter
NB Arun - Langley Mill
